David Royle

TV Real Weekly, June 25, 2008

Executive VP, Programming and Production

Smithsonian Networks

For David Royle, working as a print journalist in the U.K. laid the groundwork for his foray into the factual end of the television industry. “I’ve always been interested in imagery, as well as in writing—what’s great about starting on a newspaper is that you learn how to tell a story and you learn to write quickly and accurately—those are, I think, terrific skills in nonfiction television.”

Royle eventually crossed the Atlantic for a prolific career as a producer in the U.S., spending nine years at National Geographic Television, where he served as the executive producer of the flagship series National Geographic Explorer. Under his direction, the series garnered more news and documentary Emmy awards than any other show on television. He eventually rose to become the executive VP of production and was involved in the earliest stages of helping plan and launch the National Geographic Channel.

Royle, today the executive VP of programming and production at Smithsonian Networks, has noticed that the growing importance of high definition has had an impact on the factual-television business. The fact that all of Smithsonian Channel’s programming is in high definition gives it a “competitive advantage” over other networks, says Royle. “Right now, we just do high definition, and that’s what the operators in America want, and increasingly, it’s what people want abroad too, because the quality is so much better. And that is really one of the things—besides the strength of our brand and the quality of our programming—that has enabled us to break through in this market with a new channel at this stage of a very mature television industry. But we’re delivering something that is highly sought after at the moment, which is a high-quality, high-definition television network.”

The 24-hour Smithsonian Channel celebrates the American experience with branded original content from the assets of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex. The network features original documentaries, short-subject explorations and programs highlighting America’s cultural, historical and scientific heritage.

Smithsonian Channel continues to expand its reach in the U.S. Since it debuted via the DIRECTV satellite platform last September, the channel is now also available on DISH Network, as well as on

Charter Communications, Verizon FiOS TV, RCN and on another 14 smaller cable systems. “I think we’re really rolling out quite quickly, and we’re getting quite a bit of recognition for our programming, so it’s a very exciting time for us,” says Royle.

The U.S. market is currently the primary focus for the network, but Royle is keen on extending the reach of Smithsonian Channel beyond American borders. “It is very rewarding and pleasing that we are being approached by different people abroad saying that this is something that we’d like to be distributed wider. [The Smithsonian Institution] has special meaning here, but it’s surprising how much it resonates abroad as well.” High Fidelity HDTV in Canada has already reached an agreement to exclusively air programming from Smithsonian Channel on three of its networks—Oasis HD, Equator HD and Treasure HD. In addition, distributor Off the Fence is representing the channel’s original shows on the international market.

Smithsonian Channel has also kept a keen eye on the global scene to fill its programming grid. It has picked up China’s Forbidden City from ZDF, a two-part docudrama filmed in collaboration with China Central Television that depicts the building of the Forbidden City, as well as the story of Cixi, a concubine who rises to become the dowager empress.

Smithsonian Channel is also ramping up its slate of international co-productions. The network is working with Five in the U.K. on a new film called The Legend of the Crystal Skulls, which is slated to air on July 10. “The film uses cutting-edge science and historical research to investigate the story behind the crystal skulls, including the two in the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution,” says Royle.

Other projects in the works include a documentary tentatively titled Stonehenge Revealed, scheduled for a late fall premiere. Through its co-production relationship with the BBC, Smithsonian Channel gained access to Stonehenge for the first dig inside the prehistoric monument in nearly 50 years. “We are going to come out with a new interpretation of what that extraordinary, iconic structure was really built for,” notes Royle.

Royle believes that he’s “got one of the best jobs in TV right now. I feel like I’m paid to be endlessly inquisitive, to be constantly thinking about discovering new stories, and I get to work with some of the most creative people in the world.”